Partners in Preservation

The Metropolitan Historical Commission and Metropolitan Historic Zoning Commission partner with many other agencies, organizations, non-profits, and other groups to forward our shared missions of preservation, protection, advocacy, and documentation of Nashville's history and historic places. Some of the partners we work with most often are listed below, although we do work closely with many other groups, including neighborhood associations, historical societies, and historic sites.

Local Partners

MHC Foundation

The MHC Foundation was founded in 2012 to help the MHC with its mission and goals through volunteer work and fund-raising efforts to provide resources, materials, and training to the MHC staff, and other preservation activities.

Nashville City Cemetery Association

One of the MHC's longest-running partnerships, the MHC and the Nashville City Cemetery Association work together protect, preserve, restore and raise public awareness of the Nashville City Cemetery. The MHC assists the NCCA with events such as the Memorial Day Dash (each May) and the Living History Tour (each October). The MHC also oversees restoration work and burials in the City Cemetery.

Historic Nashville, Inc.

Established in 1968, Historic Nashville, Inc. is the local non-profit organization with the mission to promote and preserve the historic places that make Nashville unique. MHC and HNI work together to achieve their dual goals, through programs like the MHC's Preservation Awards, HNI's Nashville Nine, and other programs and projects.

State Partners

Tennessee Historical Commission/SHPO

The Tennessee Historical Commission is the Statewide Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). MHC staffers work closely with SHPO officers in making determinations of National Register eligibility, with the investment tax credit program, and in Section 106 review, among other preservation programs.

Tennessee Preservation Trust

The Tennessee Preservation Trust is the state’s only Statewide Partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. TPT focuses on promoting preservation across Tennessee through education and advocacy. Headquartered in Nashville, TPT represents thousands of the state’s heritage supporters through individual memberships and partnerships. The statewide preservation conference, sponsored by TPT, is open for both professional preservationists and laypersons interested in the architectural heritage of the state. Nashville and the MHC hosted the statewide preservation conference in 2004 and 2012.

Tennessee Historical Society

Established in 1849,the purpose of the Tennessee Historical Society is to "promote interest in and preservation of all matters relating to the history of Tennessee."The Tennessee Historical Society hosts lectures and events in all areas of Tennessee history, and publishes the Tennessee Historical Quarterly. The THS is also home to Tennessee History Day, a statewide competition for students in grades 6-12. The MHC partners with THS and local schools, providing student mentors and serving as judges in local, district, and statewide competitions.

National Partners

National Trust for Historic Preservation

Chartered by Congress in 1949, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has grown into the national non-profit organization in support of historic preservation across the United States. NTHP owns historic sites, but focuses on outreach, advocacy and education to bring more Americans into the preservation movement. NTHP hosts an annual conference, the National Preservation Conference, which was held in Nashville in 2009, and a national leadership training seminar, Preservation Leadership Training, in which several MHC staffers have participated.

National Alliance of Preservation Commissions

The National Alliance of Preservation Commissions is the national nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting local historic preservation commissions and the historic resources they help protect. NAPC provides a variety of resources and training to its members, including hosting the biennial FORUM, a national gathering of preservation commissioners, and the popular local training program called CAMP (Commission Assistance and Mentoring Program). The MHC has hosted CAMP seminars in Nashville in 2003 and 2012.